Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image content display system and a display controller, both configured to display image content, and to print information associated with image content.
Description of the Related Art
A digital signage system (so-called electronic signboard) has been widespread in recent years, as a system capable of displaying enterprise advertisement images and advertisement information on a display device such as a liquid crystal panel placed in towns, stores, public facilities, or other places where people often gather.
More recently, such a digital signage system has been proposed which offers information associated with an advertisement displayed on a display device (such as an advertising leaflet, a coupon ticket, and other information associated with advertisement) in a form printable by a printer, in response to a printing instruction input to a screen of the display device by touch operation or the like, so as to increase appeal effect to a user (for example, see JP 2013-125147 A, JP 2010-86091 A, and JP 2013-139131 A).
In displaying an advertisement, this digital signage system usually displays information (hereinafter referred to as “printing enabled state message”) on the screen for notifying the user that printing of information associated with the advertisement is enabled.
In general, a printer has a function of spooling a received printing job. More specifically, a printer temporarily retains a printing job issued in response to an instruction from a user when the printer is in a printing disabled state under an out-of-paper or out-of-toner condition of the printer, for example. In this case, the use is compelled to wait for a long time until the printer is restored to a state capable of outputting printing matters containing associated information.
When this situation occurs, the user, who has issued the printing instruction in the belief that the printing enabled state message displayed on the screen of the display device is true, may feel uncomfortable. In this case, the advertisement may not only decrease customer appeal effect, but also give an unfavorable impression depending on circumstances.
These problems may arise from any types of image content display systems configured to display various types of image content (such as images of school curricula and public information issued from local governments), including the forgoing advertisement images and advertisement information, and to print information associated with the displayed image content.